PROGRAM CONFIRMED

24.04.2016 nr

SUBJECT PROGRAM

SUBJECT CODE / ÕOKC5103
NAME OF THE SUBJECT (in Estonian.) / Kuritegevus ja ühiskondlik poliitika
NAME OF THE SUBJECT(in English). / Crime and Public Policy
CAPACITY OF THE SUBJECT (ECTS)
including contact hours
hours of independent work / 3 ECTS
CURRICULUM
HEAD OF THE CURRICULUM: / -
PREREQUISITE SUBJECTS: -
OBJECTIVE OF THE SUBJECT: Criminal justice professionals must understand the various factors that influence the development of criminal justice policy, and how to evaluate whether existing policy meets its objectives. In this course, students will examine the principles of policy analysis and the role that scientific information plays in the development of criminal justice policy. Topics explored include policing, corrections and sentencing; juvenile justice; the relationship between drugs, race, and crime; deterrence as a crime control policy; and the use of public registries. Through further analysis of criminal justice policies, students determine how these policies have changed over time, gaining insight into possible future trends of policy development and analysis.
CONTENT: /
  1. Analysis on the influence of social factors on policy development.
  2. The impact of research findings on criminal justice policy
  3. War on drugs, what works?
  4. Criminal justice processes.
  5. Criminal justice policy recommendations
  6. Theoretical approaches to crime control
  7. Domestic terrorist
  8. The impact of the U.S. Patriot Act on criminal justice policies
  9. The role of the criminal justice system in addressing terrorist threats
  10. The international sex offender policies

LEARNING OUTCOME / TEACHING ACTIVITY / LEARNING ACTIVITIES / ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CRITERIA
  1. Analyze the influence of social factors on policy development.
  2. Analyze the impact of research findings on criminal justice policy.
  3. Evaluate crime control policies.
  4. Evaluate criminal justice processes.
  5. Develop criminal justice policy recommendations
  6. Evaluate theoretical approaches to crime control.
/ Lectures, group work and leading of group discussion / Participation in lectures and group work and presentation of the results of group work and contribution to the debate / Grading: Pass/Fail
More detailed grading criteria will be provided in the calendar plan
Evaluation method: Essay which is assessed on the basis of a (three-way) feedback matrix which assesses:
-independent analysis skills;
-use of written sources;
the structure and the form of the work
The suggested level:
The theoretical foundations and best practiceshave been described sufficiently, they have been integrated with each other and associated with the student's arguments, which suggests that the student has a full command of the field and is capable of association with the learned data with otherinformation available.
Final project will consist of : Completed 10- to 17-page APA-formatted paper that addresses all of the following: Policy Project, you will develop a policy recommendation to address a specific crime problem (e.g., delinquency, drug trafficking, gun control, terrorism) or criminal justice process (e.g., police response time, inmate reentry, sentencing, correctional treatment programs).
Take your Instructor and colleagues' feedback into consideration and revise Part 2, the literature review and evaluation. • For Part 3, develop a 10-page paper that addresses the one of the following: delinquency, drug trafficking, gun control, terrorism.
Make recommendations for policy change or new policy based upon the research.
Analyze the potential consequences, both intended and unintended, of your policy recommendation. Develop a plan to evaluate your policy recommendation in the future, including a description of the plan components.
MANDATORY SOURCES:
Wilson, J.Q. & Petersilia, J. (2011). Crime and public policy. Oxford University Press. NY
Walker, S. ( 2006). Sense and nonsense about crime and drugs: A policy guide. ( 6thed.). Wadsworth, Belmont, CA
RECOMMENDED SOURCES:
  • Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminology today. ( 6th ed.). Prentice Hall, NJ
  • Azemi, F. (2014). Criminal justice and law enforcement practices. (1st ed.) American Book, Inc, CA
  • White, J. (2009). Terrorism and homeland security. Cengage, NY
  • Bardach, E., Patashnik, E. M. (2016).A practical guide for policy analysis: The eightfold path to more effective problem solving(5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press.
Online resources:
  • Davis, L. M, Riley, K. J., Ridgeway, G., Pace, J., Cotton, S. K., Steinberg, P. S., Damphousse, K., & Smith, B. L. (2004). When terrorism hits home: How prepared are state and local law enforcement. Retrieved from
This Rand report examines the preparedness of state law enforcement's ability to respond to terror attacks post 9/11.
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Definitions of terrorism in the U.S. code. Retrieved from
This website provides brief definitions of both international and domestic terrorism.
  • Jenkins, B. M. (2006). The new age of terrorism. In D. G. Camien (Ed.), The McGraw Hill homeland security handbook (pp.117–130). Hoboken, NJ: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from
  • U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. (n.d.).Community policing defined[Brochure].Retrieved from
This chapter describes the evolution of terrorism.
  • U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.). Highlights of the USA Patriot Act. Retrieved from
  • Kirk, M. (Writer/Director). (2008). Bush’s war [Television series episode]. In D. Fanning (Executive producer),Frontline. Boston, MA: WBGH Educational Foundation. Retrieved from
  • Human Rights Watch. (2013). Raised on the registry: The irreparable harm of placing children on sex offender registries in the U.S. Retrieved from
  • U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. (n.d.). Dru Sjodin national sex offender registry. Retrieved from

Compiled by:Ferid Azemi, PhD (C)

24.02.2016

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